Security forces in Assam’s Dima Hasao district saved three sadhus from getting lynched on suspicion of being child lifters. In a similar incident on June 8, two friends, who had gone to a picnic spot in Karbi Anglong, were waylaid on their return by a group of villagers and lynched on the suspicion of being child-lifters.
This comes less than a month after two youths were lynched in Karbi Anglong district on similar suspicion.
The Police said that the incident took place at Mahur in Dima Hasao district on Thursday when local spotted three sadhus in saffron dress and suspected them to be child-lifters. The sadhus were mobbed and attacked in no time.
“As the situation was getting out of control and the crowd swelled, some people informed the unit of Army stationed nearby.
The Army jawans reached on time and rescued the three sadhus. All the three were from UP and were on a pilgrimage here.
Travelling in a car, the three had visited the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati during the recent Ambubachi festival last month and after that they spent a few nSights at Kaziranga national park also,” said a senior police official in Dima Hasao district headquarters, Haflong.
“The trio were planning to go to Tripura to visit the Tripura Sundari temple. However, the locals on Thursday found the three moving around the railway station and attacked them after dragging them out of the car,” said the official.
“The three were identified as Shiv Bhan from Gautam Budh Nagar, NCR, Amar Giri from Allahabad and Mahant Sunipuri from Patan.
The Army took them to the camp initially and later handed them over to us,” police said.
Police further said that some locals have also attacked another three strangers in Haflong but were rescued due to timely intervention of police.
It may be mentioned here that rumours of child-lifters have been doing the rounds in some districts of Assam.